The Importance of Corporate Worship

Scripture never describes angels or humans in heaven as tucked away in their own private corners offering solitary prayer, but as joining their voices together in corporate adoration to God. Hebrews refers to “thousands upon thousands of angels” and to the “church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven” (Heb 12:22–23). Revelation expands the ranks to include “ten thousand times ten thousand” angels (Rev 5:11). Heaven is above all a place of worship, and more specifically a place of corporate worship. . . . [O]ur ascription of glory to God in worship here on earth anticipates and even now is part of heavenly worship. What we will be doing in heaven perfectly forever we begin doing, however imperfectly, here on earth. This is surely why God takes such great delight in our glorifying him through worship now, and why we rightly see worship—and particularly corporate worship—as the chief way we glorify and enjoy him.